Ligaments – Vertebral Column

The human spine has various tasks. It helps us to be upright, ensures stability, provides muscles, tendons and other tissues with osseous starting points and passage openings, can distribute loads and is still flexible and movable. The downside of this is that such a complex structure with so many functionalities is, unfortunately, an equally versatile focus for diseases. In 2011, approximately 230,000 spinal surgeries were performed, and an upward trend has been observed. Students of human medicine should be introduced to the anatomy of the spine early on, to diagnose pathologies timely and spare patients’ problems associated with such an operation.

00:01
hyaline as well as fibrocartilage.
00:01
Some ligaments that are associated with the
vertebral column. There are several, somemore important than others and what we want
to take home from this particular lecture,but you as a learner, should understand quite
importantly are anterior and posterior longitudinalligaments.
00:23
Here we’re looking at an anterior view and
we see the anterior longitudinal ligament.
00:31
It’s going to run from the sacrum all the
way up to the occiput or the occipital boneof the skull. It will connect to the vertebral
bodies and the intervening intervertebraldiscs. Because the surface area anteriorly
is pretty large, the width of the anteriorlongitudinal ligament is also going to be
wide.
01:04
The anterior longitudinal ligament will help
stabilize the vertebral column during extension.
01:12
So, if we flex, move forward and then extend,
it will help to stabilize the vertebral columnin that extension. The more we extend,
the tighter it becomes.
01:34
Located posteriorly and attached to the posterior
aspects of the vertebral bodies as well asthe posterior aspects of the intervertebral
discs is our posterior longitudinal ligament.
01:48
And we see a deeper portion of the posterior
longitudinal ligament here and then we seea more superficial component of our posterior
longitudinal ligament. And in through here,it’s attached to the posterior aspects of
the vertebral bodies. And note that we havethe pedicles on either side. So, consequently,
because the pedicles are limiting structures,the posterior longitudinal ligament is much
narrower as a band than would be the anteriorlongitudinal ligament.
02:23
And then when you get at the level of the
intervertebral discs, you no longer have thatlimitation. So, there are lateral extensions
of the posterior longitudinal ligament oneither side of the central bands. The posterior
longitudinal ligament does just the oppositefunctionally of the anterior longitudinal
ligament and that will be to stabilize thevertebral column during flexion. Also, if
you have a herniation of an intervertebraldisc, note that this is a weaker area here
laterally from the central band. So, a herniationof the intervertebral disc is going to come
out posterolateral to your posterior longitudinalligament on either side.
03:13
Another type of ligament that’s associated
with the vertebral column is the ligamentumflavum. Flavum means yellow. And these are
yellow, elastic ligaments that run from laminato lamina. And so, this area here is the ligamentum
flavum on this side. And here is the ligamentumflavum on the opposite side, again, running
from lamina to lamina. And we see more ofthese ligaments as we move inferiorly in this
particular illustration.
03:52
Right down here is the posterior midline.
So, projecting into the screen away from youas a viewer of this lecture would be
the spinous process of this vertebra. Andthen the spinous process of the vertebra below.
And if you look in the posterior midline,you can see that there is generally a very
slight gap between the ligamenta flava asthey do not fuse in the posterior midline.
04:22
Because of their elastic nature, ligamenta
flava will help to limit or check separationof the vertebral column during flexion. So,
as you flex, you put greater tension on theelastic ligaments and the more tension you
place on them, the more that will help tolimit or restrict that range of movement.
04:49
Interspinous ligaments orbit around between
the spinous processes. So, we see them hereand here, spinous processes and then we have
an inner spinous process here. These are poorlydeveloped in the cervical area. And we can
also see in this particular view, a nice intervertebraldisc. This is the nucleus pulposus region
that was discussed a moment ago. And thenhere’s an end plate here above and an end
plate here below. And so, this shows thosestructural features more clearly. Interspinous
ligaments will help to limit or check theseparation of spinous processes during flexion.
05:48
We also have supraspinous ligaments and these
will run from the tips of spinous processesto the next ones below or above depending
on where you start. Supraspinous ligamentswill run from the vertebra prominens, again
known as C7, and will extend inferiorly tothe level of the sacrum. These two will help
to limit separation of spinous processesduring flexion.
06:25
The ligamentum nuchae runs from the occiput
down to C7. So, it’s this midline ligamentousstructure. This specific attachment point
to the skull is known as the external occipitalprotuberance. And the inferior limit of our
ligamentum nuchae will be at the spine ofC7, the vertebra prominens. So, the reality
here is the ligamentum nuchae represents thesuperior expansion of the supraspinous ligament
within this particular anatomic region. Itwill become taut during flexion and as result
of that, it helps to limit that movement.
07:16
Now that brings us to our summary. So, what
are the take-home messages from this particularlecture on the vertebral column?First, the vertebral column is made up of
five segments - cervical, thoracic, lumbar,sacral and coccygeal. And typically, we will
have 33 vertebrae that make up the entirevertebral column.
07:44
The vertebral column is made up of primary
and secondary curvatures. Primary curvaturesform during development and increase the volume
in the thoracic area and pelvic area to houseimportant organs within those two anatomic
regions.
08:07
Secondary curvatures in the cervical area
and in the lumbar area represent developmentalmilestones. Secondary curvatures will develop
in the cervical area when the infant is learningto hold up his head and neck. And then in
the lumbar area, the secondary curvature willdevelop when the infant is learning to walk
and become more mobile.
08:36
The two basic components of a typical vertebra
would be the body and the vertebral arch.
08:45
Segmental specification is demonstrated by
structurally modifying the vertebral components.
08:53
And then lastly, vertebral articulations and
attendant ligaments will confer and eitherlimit or increase the freedom of range of
movement.
09:06
Thank you for joining me on this lecture on
the “Vertebral Column”.

About the Lecture

The lecture Ligaments – Vertebral Column by Craig Canby, PhD is from the course Abdominal Wall.

Included Quiz Questions

What vertebral ligament may allow herniation of an intervertebral disc due to its narrow width?

Posterior longitudinal ligament

Anterior longitudinal ligament

Ligamentum flavum

Interspinous ligament

Ligamentum nuchae

What is the attachment of posterior longitudunal ligament?

C2 to sacrum.

C1 to sacrum.

C3 to sacrum.

Occiput to sacrum.

Occiput to coccyx.

What are the attachments of supraspinous ligaments?

C7 to sacrum.

C6 to sacrum.

C2-C6.

C3- Lumbar vertebrae.

C4-L2.

Which ligament stabilizes the body during extension?

Anterior longitudinal ligament.

Posterior longitudnal ligament.

Ligamamentum flavum.

Interspinous ligaments.

Ligamentum nuchae.

What vertebral segment allows the greatest range of motion due to its orientation of the zygapophyseal joints?

Cervical segment

Thoracic segment

Lumbar segment

Author of lecture Ligaments – Vertebral Column

Craig Canby, PhD

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